WeAreWaterloo BID expands to include LSBU campus and IWM

Businesses in Waterloo have backed the local business improvement district (BID) to continue for another five years. WeAreWaterloo now covers an extended area stretching almost as far as the Elephant & Castle.

The WeAreWaterloo team with the Mayor of Lambeth outside The Old Vic

WeAreWaterloo is the new name for the Waterloo Quarter BID which funds extra local services and activities through a levy on business rates.

Businesses in North Lambeth first voted to establish the Waterloo Quarter BID a decade ago.

A total of 317 votes were cast in this year's ballot, with a turnout of 61 per cent, with 91 per cent of businesses (representing 88 per cent of rateable value voting yes to the proposals to continue WeAreWaterloo's work till 2021.

To the west, the BID will now encompass the railway arches under the Waterloo main line between Leake Street in the north and Lambeth Road in the south.

"Local businesses have given a strong statement of their support for WeAreWaterloo and our ambitious proposals for the next 5 years," said John Rushton, chair of WeAreWaterloo.

"Waterloo, like many areas of London, is experiencing rapid transformation and we will work hard at a local level to create opportunities out of that change and continue to make the area a desirable place to visit, to do business and to live."

Chief executive Helen Santer added: "We are very grateful for the support of local businesses and the faith they have put in us to deliver our ambitious plans for the area in the next five years.

"The increased level of investment gives us scope to ramp up our activity, continuing to focus on the delivery of quality services for our members, but also taking a broader look at the quality of the experience across the whole area and driving forward our vision for Waterloo. We're looking forward to getting started!"